Identification and Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing of Campylobacter Using a Microfluidic Lab-on-a-Chip Device

Abstract

Increasing concerns of antibiotic-resistant Campylobacter spp. with regard to public health emphasize the importance of efficient and fast detection. This study described the timely identification and antimicrobial susceptibility testing of Campylobacter spp. by using a microfluidic device. Our developed method not only reduced the total analysis time, but it also simplified food sample preparation and chip operation for end users. Due to the miniaturized size of the lab-on-a-chip platform, the detection was achieved by using up to 1,000 times less of the reagents than with standard reference methods, making it a competitive approach for rapid screening and surveillance study in food industries. In addition, multiple clinically important Campylobacter species ( C. jejuni , C. coli , and C. lari ) could be tested by our device. This device has potential for wide application in food safety management and clinical diagnostics, especially in resource-limited regions.